The secret to sustained growth is a great company culture.
Ptex recently received quite a compliment. As of July, we are officially certified as a Great Place to Work® business.
To receive this prestigious accolade, GPW asked our employees to participate in their anonymous survey on their feelings regarding the workplace environment, culture, management, etc. and how it affected – positively or negatively – their job performance. I myself was not allowed to take part in this.
The unanimously positive results of the survey was quite touching.
As I’m sure many of you are aware, I place an enormous emphasis on company culture. It’s impossible to stress enough just how important it is for a business to create, maintain and sustain a great workplace.
While it’s always great to have internal recognition of our wonderful environment, it’s even more rewarding when that effort is recognized by those on the outside. The universal acknowledgement provides even more motivation to keep growing together as a team, to maintain the wonderful environment we’ve created.
Over the years, I’ve seen so many well-meaning business owners—motivated, focused individuals looking to grow their business—who just can’t seem to make that breakthrough towards sustained growth. Whether it’s erratic profits, high employee turnover, or other growth impediments, they just can’t seem to solve the puzzle.
Invariably, the issue is the same: they aren’t focused on their culture. They have eyes for profits and losses, red ink and black ink, for liabilities, operating costs, and equity. But they don’t pay enough attention to their most important asset: the employees.
At the core of every single business organization are its people.
There is nothing more important to your business than ensuring that they have the ability to thrive, flourish and succeed. Their success is your success.
A business’ culture is rooted within its ability to allow the employee to perform his or her job effectively. This means going beyond providing a nice Keurig machine or throwing a company barbecue. While those are certainly all good and wonderful, they are peripheral within the grand vision of your business. Communication, teamwork, cohesion. These are the foundations of a winning environment.
Great culture gives everyone in the organization purpose, provides motivation, which, in turn, engenders stability.
With this in mind, here are a few Ptex Practical Pointers that will ensure your business is a great place to work:
Feedback Fact-Check – When it comes to company culture, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. It’s important to get feedback from each and every employee, both positive and negative. Business owners truly committed to growth never shy away from feedback. Even the most negative reviews can be turned into something positive.
Courage to Change – Maintaining an open-door policy, welcoming feedback – these things can only take you so far. Employees must see that you are fully committed to their well-being, and that means taking concrete action steps. Often, people view change as an indictment on the way they’ve done things in the past. It’s important to realize that nothing could be further from the truth. Growth is also a change. And who doesn’t want to grow?
The TLC Approach – Employees require constant attention in order to bloom and blossom. The methods of cultivation vary from person to person. For some, it may be a daily word of encouragement. For another, it can be a monthly review. Some employees may like to work in private, while others are fueled by office chatter. Everyone, however, must feel like he or she is valued and has the opportunity to climb the ladder.
Investing in your people is the greatest investment you can possibly make. In an increasingly crowded business climate, with the chase to get the next client becoming that much more cutthroat, it’s important not to lose sight of the utmost priority—your employees.
You really want to create a great culture? Take the advice of one Richard Branson:
“Clients do not come first. Employees come first. Take care of your employees, and they will take care of the clients.”
Onward and Upward,
Meny Hoffman
P.S. And now for the breaking news I wanted to share with all of you. Early this morning, my wife and I were privileged to welcome a beautiful baby girl! Mazel tov.
